Container carrier



Oct. 2, 1945. T H. F|RK5 ET AL 2,386,101

CONTAI'NRR CARRIER .Filed March l0, 1944 Patented Oct. 2, 1945 Theodore H. Firks and William E; y f fresh, Jr., Chicago, Ill.`

Applicatie Marchio, 1944, seriaijN.' assez j:

i claims; fol

Thisvinvention relates to a device vfor carrying bottlesor other.containers,. and its principal object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device, capable of carrying a number'of containers at a time.

Y Another object is to provide a bottle carrier 1'" which may begreadily placed upon thenecks of .a group `ofl bottles, and by the simple act of lifting upon the handle of -the device, it` will be positively fastened upon the bottle necks, whereby the group of bottles may be safely carried about.

The invention further consists in a bottle carrying device, constructed of sheet material,

vstruck up with suitable diesinto finished form, easily assembled and serviceable for an inde l nite period of time.

The invention further consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention isclearly illustrated in the drawingV accompanying this speCicatiOn, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bottle' carrier embodying a simple form of the invention.

. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but showing the devicefastened upon the bottles. y

Fig'. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on the 1ine4--4ofFig.2. Y i

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 5,-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental.- vertical cross-section taken on the line 3-0-3 ofv Fig. 2, but showing the parts incarrying position.

Referring to said drawing, the reference characters 1, 8 designate two rectangular, generally flat. plate-like members, movable transversely with respect to each other and guided and secured against disconnection from each other. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose and as here shown, the plate member 8 is formed f on its shorter edges with inturned anges 9a (seeA Fig. 5) which provide guide ways in which the shorter end edges of the plate member I are Mackel-..

29d-#87) each` plate member?` isf-formed with. several lapproximately semi-circularpfnotches I5, .three being shown in eaclgr plate. member. vEach vplate member. is funther `fomecl-with :egg-shaped holes I6, the smaller arcs.,I'I of- `which aredisposeds-Lopposite the semi-circilarnotchespl5. The radii of the notches I 5-` andflsmlalle und edges Ile'of the holes. yIIS `are ,app'rpximately` thesame as lthe radii of the nish line o'fgthe.standard` lsoft drink bottles, some` of whichareshown-at.` I8.''.[hese semi-circular edges of..|the,f,.plate members i ,are

` adaptedtol` engage withbottlenecks at the nish line or, in othenwords, immediately belowf the conventional bead ISV ofthe bottles; :Thmetal ,of the plate imembers at the semifcircular, edge portionsA of `the holes is.struck{dwnward s to provide` flangesV 20, which are adapted to, graspthe bottle necks and preventswaying of Vthe bottles,

that isV toprevent them from Vknocking together.

The overall greatest wdimension o f the minor axes of the holes isfapproicimately ,thesameas or greater thanthe diameteroflthe beads I9 -of `standard bottles, wherebycthe Vdevice.mayybe readily placed upon a group'of bottles contained in a standard'case of bottles. ,V-Thedevice is illustrated forcarrying six! bottles, butIl this is entirely optional., It willwloeobvious,from` an inspection of Fig. 2 that when-'the deviceiis "placedupon the necks of six: bottlesfliffthetwo.plate members are slid toward eachLllother, I,the edges `of lthe Vnotches I5 and `smallradi'usl edges"l1 tof. the holes I6 will be impinged` f ainst the sides of the bottle necks below the beads I9;

turned flange 9 along three of its sides, and is n ASuitable means are `:provided foraccomplishi'ng this result, which means also comprise" the handle of the device. As .hereinT shown, a-.handleg-ZL vprovideclW-itlfl a `Wire baiL-is employed, thelegs 22 of which extend-through slots 23-"formedin the platemember 8 andfthroughslots 24 formed on the platemember 1. The Vend extremities 25 of theilegsare `bent at right angles to thelegs to lieinA alignment with eachV other` and are arranged` to engage -vthe underside of theplate memberl. f 4Aligned with slots.:-23,. th`e metal ofthe plate member B is struck upwardly to provide two inverted U-shaped ribs 26, and the metal of theV plate member `1 is struck updownwardlyin align-I ment lwith the slots24 to provide U-shaped-` ribs 21. The end edges28. 2,9.ofthese U-shapedribs provide fulcrum points against which the handleV legs may be swung whenevervthe handle is raised,` thereby slidingthe` platemembers toward each other in a longitudinal .direction and bringing the notchesy I 5L and ,opposed` semifcircular edge portions l1 of the holes I6 toward each other and impinging them upon the necks of bottles upon which the carrier has been placed. The downturned iianges 20 are brought to bear against the bottle necks, thereby serving to steady the bottles while Ibeing carried and thus prevent them from knocking together.

Fig. 4 shows the parts as they appear with the two 'platef'rnefn'rbersof tlfiecrrier; slid tapart and the-legs -of fthehandle extending obliquely through the slots and Fig. 6 shows a leg of the handle in upright position bearing against the rithis-y view edges 28, 29 of the U-shaped ribs. e the two plate members have been moved' toward each other in a longitudinal direction A'with' the; bottle necks engaged by the edges of theotchesf I and semi-.circular edges l1 of theholes i6 at the finish line of the bottles, and also with the' The; bottles? ,if

flanges 2l) engaging the bottle necks.

may now be safely carried about.

Todisengage the carrier fromthe bottles, the latterare stood upona table'or vother horizontal surface, and the handle is permitted to drop, thereby releasing its purchase Yon the ll-.shaped ribsy 26, 21, whereupon the ,two plate Amembers maybe drawn apart longitudinally far enough to bring the largest` parts ofthe holes lfS into register witnth'e bottle necks, afterwhieh' 'the dewith beads orl shoulders at their upper ends.

\ vWe' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1; A carrier comprising two "plate members,

kslidable one upon the other, and formed with opposed container neck clasping elements, and a handle' functioning as a lever and having two legs extendingthrough aligned slots inthe two plate members, there being ribs oifsetoutwardly transversely of the device, the upper plate member having inverted U-shaped ribs extending from one end of each slot and the lower plate member having U-shaped ribs extending from one end of each slot, with both sets of U-shaped ribs extending in opposite directions from each other, and a handle having legs extending through said slots and U-shaped ribs and being rongengwrnfgiegtremities nente/at right angles to *thelegs L'and-"arrangled-to engage Vthe lower face of the lower plate, said handle legs functioning ias levers acting against the opposed ends of the .Ueshaped ribs, whenever the handle is raised, Hvvherby to slide the neck clasping elements of =;th`e Iplate members into clasping engagement with the vcontainer necks.

,4, Acarrier comprising two plate members 't' slidably guided upon each other, both plate membershaving opposed ilanged bottle neck clasping elements, andboth plate members having aligned slotsl extending transversely of the device, the

`upp`er` plate memberl having inverted U-shaped ribsfextending from one rend of each slot and the lower plate member havingv U-shaped ribs extending from one end of each slot, with both sets cfu-shapedribs extending in ,opposite directions from each other,` and a `handle having legs extending through said .slots and U-shaped ribs and being formed with extremities bent at rightY angles to the'legs and arranged to engage the, lower 4face :of the lower plate, said handle `legs functioning as levers'acting against the opposed. ends. of

the U-:shaped ribs, whenever the handle is raised, Y

whereby to slide the neck clasping'elements ofthe `platemembers into clasping engagementwith the ,bottle necks 5.v A carrier comprising,two'V plate members slidably guided upon each other, both plate members havingi av plurality of bottle vneck receiving holes therein, and both .plate members having 'notches in certain of their edges opposedto edges yof said holes,` said opposed notches and hole edges being adapted to be moved toward each other in clasping engagement with bottle necks, and both plate members having aligned slots extending transversely'of the device, theupper plate mem.- ber having inverted U-shaped ribs extending from l yone endof each slot and the lower plate member frpm said slots, and said regs of the' handiebeing arranged when moved upward to'e'ngage opposed ends of the ribs and therewith move the `plate membersin opposite directions toward each other in the plane of the device.

2. A carrier comprising two plater members slidable one'upon the other, one platemember having guide means for guiding the other plate member to slide parallel therewith, 'both said plate members having opposedcontainer neck clasping elements, and bothplate members having aligned slots extending transversely :of the device, and a handle having legs extending through said slots, provided with shoulders on their extremities adapted to engage ltheu'nderside of one 'plate member, the legs ofthe handle functioning as a lever engaging opposed ends of the slots, when the leveris raised,A andthereby serving to move Athe neck clasping elements against the necks of the containers.

` 34A carrier comprising two plate members slidably guided upon each other to'movein the plane of the device, both plate members having opposed container neck clasping elements, and both plate members having alinged slots extending vhaving'U-shaped ribs extending from one end of each slot, `with both setsof U-shaped ribs extending in opposite directions fromv each other,

and a handle having legs extending through said slots yand U`shaped ribs and being formed with extremities bent at right ,angles to the legs and arranged tov engage the lower face of the lower plate, said handle legs functioning as levers acting against the opposed ends of the U-shaped ribs, whenever the Vhandle is raised, whereby to slide the neck clasping elements of the plate members into clasping engagement with the bottle necks.

' 6. A carrier comprising two plate members slidably guided upon each other, both plate mem- 'bers having a plurality of anged bottle neck receiving holes therein', and both plate members having flanged notches in certain of their ledges opposed to edges of said holes, said opposed notches and hole edges being adapted to be moved toward each other in clasping engagement with bottle necks, and both plate members having 'aligned'v slots extending ytransversely of the device, the upper plate member having inverted U- shapedribs extending from one end of each slot and the lower platemember having U-shaped ribs extending from one end of each slot, with both sets of U-shaped ribs extending in opposite directions from each other, and a handle having legs extending through said slots and U-shaped ribs and being formed with extremities bent at right angles to the legs and arranged to engage the lower face vof the lower plate, said handle legs functioning as levers acting against the opposed ends of the U-shaped ribs, whenever the handle is raised, whereby to slide the neck clasping elements of the plate members into clasping engagement with the bottle necks.

7. A bottle carrier comprising two plate members, one slidably guided upon the other, and both plate members having reinforcing ribs struck up adjacent three sides of the plates, with the ribs on two edges aligned and telescoping each other, both plate members having opposed bottle neck Y clasping elements, and a handle having legs ex- 

